Episode 2
In the name of Allah,
the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful. Peace and blessings of Allah be upon
Prophet Muhammad (SAWS).
Let me welcome you
all and let us continue our "Call for Coexistence"
To remind ourselves,
coexistence means how to understand, communicate, and respect each other even if
we disagree; how to build bridges, instead of barriers.
Our intention is to
reduce the rates of divorce, eliminate misery, enhance dialogues, and to
approach this generation and to protect them from addiction and extremism.
We aim at fulfilling
this ayah
that can be translated as, "so be pious
to Allah, and act righteously among yourselves (Or: make a reconciliation after
differences)" (TMQ,
8: 1). Our intention is to make
the believer friendlier and easier to get along with. "Surely the believers
are only brothers; so make a reconciliation between your two brothers" (TMQ 49:
10). The Prophet (SAWS) has warned us that
there is no goodness in those who are
not friendly towards others.
Our goal is to make
Islam revered throughout the world. Our disrespect towards each other made the
west regard us as barbarians who are unable to communicate. How can this be
when our religion and our Qur'an call for coexistence and dialogue?
Coexistence does not
mean dissolving in the other party and erasing the identity of our youth, as the
West wants us to. Muslims living in the west should coexist with their
societies without losing their Islamic identity so that they can give a working
example on the greatness of Islam.
I made an extensive
research to find an anecdote about coexistence derived from our history. Why
resort to examples from other countries or cultures when we have ample examples
in our history. There is no problem of course in benefiting from others’
experiences, but let us take this opportunity to show the truth about Islam.
We shall focus on
the four Imams.
Why the four
Imams?
One might wonder
what the four Imams have to do with coexistence.
As a matter of fact,
they are the leaders of coexistence, communication, dialogue and civilization in
Islamic history, or even in the history of humanity.
Another reason that
I chose them is that they lived in an era similar to the present era. It was an
era of freedom and renaissance of all fields, the Abbasid and the end of the
Umayyad ruling, the days of Harun ar-Rashid.
During their time
there were cultural invasions on Muslims. See how related this point is?
How could the four
Imams coexist without dissolving, when many other cultures, including Greek,
Roman, and Persian cultures began to mix with Islam?
It was also a period
preceded by conflict, the one which took place between Ali Ibn-Abu-Taleb and
Mu'aweya Ibn-Abu-Sufyan. We shall see how they tackled this issue.
The four Imams
and Islamic jurisprudence
The four Imams lived
during the time when Islamic jurisprudence was being formed.
At their time, the
Prophet (SAWS) and his companions (RA)
had died and had left us the Qur'an, whose ayahs are around 6000, and the
sunnah.
The incidents, however, are unlimited through the history of humanity. How then
could they extract solutions from the limited resources?
This is what
jurisprudence is all about. It means finding solutions for people's problems
covering all issues, in the light of the Qur'an and sunnah: in marriage,
divorce, dealings, people's relationships with each other, the relationship
between Muslims and non-Muslims, the role of the governor towards the citizens,
worship, etc. Jurisprudence is one of the greatest and most important Islamic
sciences.
The four Imams are
pioneers in this field. Each one of them had his own way of thinking and
philosophy. They differed in large issues, yet they loved and respected each
other.
Do you realize now
the reason behind choosing the four Imams?
It is because they
are a unique outstanding example of coexistence, dialogue, and listening to the
other, and accepting them.
What are the
distinguishing traits of the four Imams?
There were other
jurists who were more learned than the four imams, but the schools of the four
imams outlived them all. The reason they succeeded is that they were capable of
coexisting with others. The four Imams coexisted with their previous and
following generations. Thus they passed their knowledge on to the next
generation, and their students spread it; so their knowledge was destined to
last. Contrary to Abu-Hanifa, other scholars like al-Laith Ibn-Sa'ad of Egypt,
did not do this. This was the reason why their ideas didn't reach us. Imam
ash-Shafi'y said about him that he was more learned than Malik, yet his
companions failed him as they did not pass their knowledge on to the next
generation.
Abu-Hanifa selected
four of the poor students whom he foretold to be brilliant and gave them
scholarships. He has introduced the concept of scholarships, long before it was
known in Europe. Among his students was Abu-Yusuf, who later became the supreme
judge of the Islamic world.
We are far from
doing this nowadays and hence all the brilliant youth migrate to the west.
We have to lead the
next generations to success. Instead of tormenting young talented employees in
our companies, let us encourage them and give them a real chance.
Another reason for
their success is that they were flexible. Flexible people know how to coexist
with others. They traveled a lot and got in contact with people. Furthermore,
they lived in main, capital cities. If you are isolated, then you cannot
succeed. The Prophet taught us that the Muslim who interacts (i.e. coexists)
with people and is patient in enduring their harm is better than the Muslim who
does not interact and hence is not harmed by them. Although they sometimes
disagreed with the rulers, yet their relationship with the rulers never reached
the extent of clashes. They were not hypocrites, as well. Thus their knowledge
was not banned.
The four Imams
benefited millions of people. Imam ash-Shafe’i introduced a new idea of how
deductions in any science should have fixed rules. He established the method of
logical thinking. Later on, Ibn-Rushd in Andalus (Spain) was influenced by this
method. Europe benefited from Ibn-Rushd, and hence, indirectly from
ash-Shafi'y. He should have won the Nobel Prize, as he was the first to
introduce the method of logical thinking.
The four Imams had
something original to introduce to people. Thousands of students attended
Ibn-Hanbal's lectures in Baghdad for 10 years. How was that? Anyone who has
some ideas or thoughts will run out of them after some time. He must have had
exceptional abilities in coexisting with people. Also Imam Malik died at the
age of 78. He kept giving lectures for 60 years.
A brief
introduction about the four Imams
Let us make it in
the form of an identity card.
First - Place of
birth and residence:
Two imams were born
in Iraq, Abu-Hanifa in Kufa and Ahmed Ibn-Hanbal in Baghdad. The other two
lived in al-Higaz: Malik was born in Madinah, and ash-Shafi'y was born in Gazza,
Palestine, but at the age of three he went to live in Makkah. As we can see,
all of them lived in main cities.
Second – Origin:
Two imams were of
Arab origins: Ash-Shafi'y, of course, whose ancestor relates to the Prophet, as
he was from Quraysh, and Ibn-Hanbal who was from the tribe of Banu-Shaiban, a
renowned tribe. The other two were of non-Arab origins. Abu-Hanifa was of a
Persian origin, whereas Malik's ancestors were slaves, set free at the beginning
of Islam.
This is a
significant point in coexistence. How could the Arab society accept people of
non-Arab origins to be the leaders in jurisprudence? You see how much Islam has
changed the way people used to think? Nowadays in our societies, two different
social classes cannot coexist with each other. People are classified according
to their nationalities, their passports, and their wealth.
Chronology:
First is Abu-Hanifa,
being born in 80 A.H, then Malik, Ash-Shafi'y, and the last one, Ahmad
Ibn-Hanbal.
Each of them was a
student of the other. Ahmad Ibn-Hanbal was a student of ash-Shafi'y and in
turn, ash-Shafi'y was a student of Malik’s. Ash-Shafi'y and Ibn-Hanbal were
students of the disciples of Abu-Hanifa: The first was a student of Muhammad
Abul-Hassan, and the second was of Abu-Yusuf. All of them were interrelated and
they all respected each other.
Financial
situation:
Two of them were
rich, and two were poor, lest anyone might think that coexistence is limited to
one standard of living.
Abu-Hanifa was very
wealthy; he was a successful merchant. He used to wear expensive suits. Malik
liked to be elegant and well-dressed. The poor students were the dearest to
Abu-Hanifa. Ibn-Hanbal and ash-Shafi'y, though poor, were courted by royalty,
as they were able to deal with all classes.
Physique:
All of them were
handsome tall guys. Malik was a blond man with blue eyes. Ash-Shafi'y was
dark-skinned and very handsome as well.
Books:
Three of the four
imams wrote books but one did not. Ash-Shafi'y wrote his ideas in a book
entitled "Ar-Resala", Ibn-Hanbal wrote "Al-Musnad", and Malik
wrote "Al-Muwatta'". Abu-Hanifa chose a rather different approach. He
used to hold meetings with his students and what the majority agreed upon was
then written down.
Some other great
scholars stopped their lectures and joined Abu-Hanifa to help him,
for they saw it was
more beneficial for Islam. Therefore when you think of the concepts of team
work, focus group and brainstorming, remember that Abu-Hanifa was the one who
pioneered these concepts in the year 80 A.H.
Our main topic is
coexistence; may be we can save one soul in Iraq with these words. May be
somebody in Lebanon will decide to reconcile with his enemies. May be somebody
in Darfur remembers the Prophet's teachings which emphasize that Muslims are one
nation, equal in respect of blood and even the weakest or the least important of
them is entitled to give protection on behalf of them. The discrepancy between
the Prophet's saying and reality is painful, but we are still optimistic.
Let us continue
talking about the four Imams.
How long did they
live for?
They lived long.
The only one who died rather young was ash-Shafi'y, at the age of 54. Imam
Malik kept on giving lectures for 60 years in the Prophet’s mosque. He started
at the age of 17 years until he died at the age of 77.
How could they
sustain the admiration and respect of the public for all these years?
Knowledge, though necessary, is not the only reason. There must be other
factors such as charisma, the ability to tolerate others, to deal with people,
and to listen to others. Abu-Hanifa once wrote "I learned from a barber five
issues in jurisprudence I had not known before."
Their Fame:
One of the secrets
behind their success is that they were role models. They practiced what they
preached and they were great worshippers. Thousands of people attended Malik’s
lectures in ar-Rawda. He used to teach students from 3 different continents and
3 generations. Wherever ash-Shafi'y went, thousands of people gathered around
him. It was said that nobody, apart from the rightly
guided Caliphs, was as famous as ash-Shafi'y and Ibn-Hanbal at that
time.
In the meantime,
they were sometimes harmed, beaten and imprisoned. When in prison, Ibn-Hanbal
used to say, "My funeral and yours will tell the difference between us". His
funeral was attended by thousands of people; all the roads were blocked.
Abu-Hanifa was imprisoned and tortured when he refused to accept the post of
supreme judge at the time of Caliph al-Mansour. This was because the latter
intervened with the work of the judges for the sake of his interests.
Women in the
imams’ lives:
Ibn-Hanbal's mother
was a young widow of 25 who refused to marry after his father's death.
Ash-Shafi'y's mother told him that she had vowed him to learning, so that he
might unite the nation. Malik's mother guided him to this path. His daughter
too played a significant role in correcting the students’ mistakes during the
lessons.
One of Malik's
tutors was a woman, Aisha Bint-Saad Ibn-Abu-Waqqas, the daughter of the great
companion who conquered Iraq. When ash-Shafi'y came to Egypt, he went to learn
from Lady Nafisa, the granddaughter of the Prophet (SAWS). Abu-Hanifa had
a special place for women among his 30 disciples to help him in his juristic
opinions.
Abu-Hanifa’s mother
used to think of him merely as her own child. She once made a vow and wanted to
change her mind about it. She refused to follow his opinion, and decided to
consult Zur'a al-Qas; a worshipper, not even a jurist. Abu-Hanifa obeyed her
and offered to accompany her to that man. He sent to Zur'a a letter telling him
how to answer his mother's question. He answered her by what Abu-Hanifa told
him and she accepted it!
Their talents:
Besides
jurisprudence, the four Imams were also talented in other fields. Ibn-Hanbal had
the talent of penmanship. Ash-Shafi'y was a talented poet.
Finally, I would
like to ask Muslims who live in the west to integrate with their societies and
to be proud of their origins. I am asking people of Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon
to learn from our history. Let us all spread coexistence among us. I have a
plea, let not the "Call for coexistence" be a one-sided dialogue. Send your
comments and experiences on the website
www.amrkhaled.net.
Thank you so much.
May Allah’s Peace be upon you all.
